Corner protector for enclosed bodies



July 11, 1950 E. J. BERGERON CORNER PROTECTOR FOR ENCLOSED BODIES Filed Jan. 26, 1948 I I J l l I I I I 1| five/afar Patented July 11; 1950 UNITED STATES CORNER PROrECTmt -OR NCL'OSED WBODIES Ernest JJBerIgeron, Fitchblng, Mass. Application January it, 1948, serial N .43: A

6 oleiins. (01. 229-),

This invention relates tbim'prove'ments in protector'devices"forprotecting protruding portion Ibrprotjec'tively maintaining the'table top 'or other object against direct contact with the walls of'a' shipping carton, crate or other enclosure. It has been proposed heretofore to provide corner-protective units, of the general type to which. the invention relates, made of corrugated ape "board stock, and to have the units folda- Idle from a generally flat condition to an operafive condition in which a unit is adapted to be 100561;; arranged over a table corner with plural thick corrugated paper wan protectively enclosingsl'ibs'tantial portions of the top and sideed'g'e surfaces of a table top, or the like, at a cern'er region.

Howe er. so fa'r'as'I am aware,.th'e prior 'corrugatedpa'pe'r corner-protective devices have re quil-fid a double-thick blank of the corrugated paper stock in order'to provide adquete protec the fi'rial fold of the pfibrdeviees'has had to be retained in place by e we 11mg e l r by e Q ei enegrq ve ntergloc ng of parts which involves time andtro i'ble to make and to se ure. 4

It is 'amoni 'the' objects ofmy present ihvention-tp ilrovide protective corner iinit for. loo es Wi hin a container which readily may be folded I tQprbtect'or' wr te from a blank er single-thick commercial corrugated paper-board stock, and Whi "is self-locking"imresponse to the final folding. Of a 'fl'll'lif W311. f i f Another object isv to provide a protective core net unit for edi'es'within a container, said unit compr sing a 's'ing1e th'ick blank of corrp'gated paper 'stockwherein two adjacent longitudinal pa elsar'e integral only at a region substantially th e osi'te nd f t panel-s g it jnr j i e e d 1 bi ns d said integral regi i t'q pr m videpmt ck pa t-i1 portions, et d e er said folded anels fii nl g" folded" along .said integral region into: new 'dicular relation to the other e i f an n i e one of it ee't fet thick portions lsgt perpendicularly across the other paneltvit in saiipliiral thick portion of saidothrpanel n a sa ip u'rai-tfi el portion In the accompanying drawing: i 1g. l is aplan view we blarik'o'f corrugated papei-=board steel; from which one of my nifpreveq pi eteetive-eeriiei units be qtiickly 'fo'ljrid by 93 'mere folding Ofth blaliik'; Fig; "23s a "Similar View but ehewingthe blank partially 'f 01111313.;

"Fig; *3 shew's'the same lelenk at a subsequent stage of the fol ilig thereof;

Fig. l is elVltiOri'aIl View looking item the right at theparti'all'iffolded blank'bf Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the completely folded Pi'otiitiilbdi'ii'f unity Fig; 6 is a rsp'eetiveviewtf the coiripletely folded unit; one larger scale; and Fig. '7 is a pershettive new showing "one of "my improved cb'rne'r units arranged o'ver'a coriier'ef avtabltop; i 4 t Referri'n to the drawing, the bl-ank represented iti'Fig; 1 may be "cutfrom a single-thick s'hee't er commercial corrugated "paper-board stock, the stock preferably being 'o'f "a; -'v'ariet$r havi g its c orrugated sheet cohfihed between two oppositegenerally' plane "sli'eets; ed that both faces of the'blank present generally planefsiir git dinaleut entfi. Thebanel I'O is dividedty tr s'ver s'e' fold line It? into a series "of generally sq'iiare sections '26, 22, 24,16, 28' and 30; and'h'as relativ'ely'narrowsections 32, 34, 36 and 38 intervning betweencertaih of the square sections. Panelfz isdiv'ided by transverse'fold lines '40 into a series hf generally square sections 42, 44, 4'6, 48, 5e and 52, and has relatively narrow sec-- tions 54; 56; 58 andfi'll intervening"btween certain of its s'qi'iare sectiens'; A single longitudinal fold lifie'62 xt'en'dsin the plane of the slit [4 between tfie fi'a'nel sections 24'; 46; so that the lianel l'hnay'be' folded on line 6! intogenerallt' right angular relatiohtogianel In; It 'vvill he observed" that the slit '14 eiztnds "inward" at little beyond the fold line It between'the sections, 24' of panel 10,? and that the fold line 40' between sections 44, 4a ofpanel 2' is located tilt the; inner end ofslit I4. Also, the fold lines 40' defining the narrow section 54 between s'cti'on's 42; 44' of anel'lz are set to the right and closer together in Fi''t 1 relative te'the fold lines |8 between the adjacent sectiefis' zu 32" and- 22 6f panel to; with 'baner 1'2 terminating at it left"- hand end somewhat short of the adjacent end of panel m. As a result; the section 42 bf anel lz'may' be folded over upon section 44 with the intervening" narrew' section '54 serving as a" cennectiii hihge, and the er'itire'panel l2 then may be folded on longitudinal fold line 62 to" set the suiierpesed penels 42 44 erpendieiilarly acress perpendicularity with section 24 and against the section 44 of panel [2, after which section 20 of panel I is folded inward over thesections 42,

44 of panel l2, so that the latter two sections stand between sections 22, 20 of panel lEl,-with the narrow section 32-constituting a connecting hinge between sections 22, 2B overthe side edges of sections 42, 44, as shown in Fig. 3. While sections 20, 22 are held'in their folded condition, section 52 of panel .12 is folded over upon section 50, and again over upon section 48, and still again over upon section 46, with the narrow sections 60, 58 and 56 serving as hinge connections between the respective larger sections. ;,This produces a structure as represented in Fig; 3, with the folded sections 52, 50 and 48 and their hinge connections in position holding section in its folded relation.

Referring again to Fig. 1, thecut-out l6 reduces the width of the sections 26, 28,38, 36-and 38 of panel In sufficiently to permit their folding subsequent to the folding of the sections48, 50 and 52 of panel l2, with the cut-out accommodating for the accumulated thickness of ;the latter sections. Also, it should beobserved that the sections 48 and 58 of panel [2 are substantially narrower than the adjacent sections of panel I 2, due to a widening of the cut-out at 64, opposite sections 48, 58. This provides for self-locking, of the completely folded unit as presently will appear.

When the unit is folded to the stage represented in Fig. 3, the narrowed section 48 constitutes the surface layer at =the inner face of the plural-thick wall composite of the sections 52.50, 48 and 46: Hence, as bestseen inFig. 4, this section 48 provides an edge shoulder at 66 which looks the final folds of the'unit; When section of panel in is folded over upon section 28, and again over upon-section 26 and yet'again over upon section 24, this compositefolded wall snaps into place against the locking edge 66 of section 48' which holds these finally. folded sections against unfolding. And the edges of the sections 30, 28 and 26 rest against section 30 of panel l2 preventing unfolding of the sections a 52, 5B and 48. Figs. 5 and 6 show the completely folded unit ready for use, and Fig. 7 illustrates its application to a'table top corner preliminarily to encasing the table for shipment, or the like.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description, in'connection with the drawing, that I'have provided an improved protector unit which'may 'be economicallyv and quickly made: from singlethick' commercial "corrugated paper-board stock,

with each wall of the unit having four thicknesses folded into superimposed relation to each other on a hinge at one edge of the wall, and having its two outer sections folded into embracing relation to the inner sections on a hinge at an edge of the wall which is perpendicular to the first mentioned edge, one of said inner sections being hinged to an outer section of a second one of said walls along the edge of said first wall oppo site the first mentioned edge, and one of said outer sections of said first wall being hinged to an outer section of a third wall along the edge of said first wall opposite that edge at which the hinge between the outer sections of the first wall is located, all ofthe sections of said second wall being folded into superimposed relation to each other on hinges all of which are generally parallel with each other and with said hinge between one of its outer sections and one of the inner sections of said first wall, andall of the sections of said third wall being Y folded into superimposed relation to each other on" hinges all of which are generally parallel witheach other and with said hinge between one of its outer sections and one of the outer sections of said first wall, one hinge portion of each of said second and third walls being in butted relation to" different marginal portions of said first wall, thereby maintaining the folded condition of the first wall sections, and there being an edge of at least one section of said second wall in butted relation to a marginal portion of a section of said third wall, and an edge of at least one section of said third Wall in butted relation to a marginal portion of a section of said second wall, whereby the sections of the latter said two walls are maintained in their folded conditions: I I

2. A protector for a corner of an article which is to be enclosed in a shipping container, comprising three generally right angularly related walls of folded paper-board stock, each said wall having four superimposed sections of the paperboard stock therein, one of said walls having its two inner sections hinged together along one edge of the wall and, having, its outer two sections hinged together along another generally right angularly related edge of the wall with the latter said hinge extending over edges of said two inner sections, one. of said inner sections 'being hinged to an outer sectionof one of the adjacent walls, with the hinge generally parallel with the hinge between said inner two sections, and one of said outer sections being hinged to an outer section of the other adjacent wall with the hinge generally parallel with the hinge between said outer two sections, each of said adjacent wallshaving one of its inner sections hinged to the other inner section and to one of the outer sections which latter section is hinged to the other outer section with"e ach'hinge of each of said adjacent walls, generally parallel with each other in the same-wall and in generally right angular relation. to the hinges in the other of said adjacent walls,-o'ne outer section of one two longitudinal panels each divided by transverse fold lines into a series of wall sections, and one wall section of each panel being a mid-section integrally connected with the mid-section of the other panel along a longitudinal fold line, and the panels being otherwise free of integral connection together, the first one of said panels having a plurality of its said wall sections at one side of its mid-section folded into superimposed relation to each other, and into generally perpendicular relation to its mid-section, and having a plurality of its said wall sections at the other side of its mid-section folded into superimposed relation to each other and to its said mid-section, and said folded first panel being folded on said longitudinal fold line thereby to set one plurality of its folded sections in one right angular relation to the second panel and to set another plurality of its folded sections perpendicularly across the second panel in a different right angular relation thereto, said second panel having a plurality of its said wall sections at one side of its mid-section folded into superimposed relation to said perpendicularly set sections of the first panel with the latter sections embraced between them and with a fold extending around edges of the perpendicularly set sections, and having a plurality of its said wall sections at the opposite side of its mid-section folded into superimposed relation to each other and to its said mid-section. there being edges of said superimposed sections disposed in fsection-abutting positions whereby the abutting edges alone maintain all of said wall sections in theirsaid folded relationships.

4. A protector for a corner of an article which is to be enclosed in a shipping container, comprising a blank sheet of material having first and second longitudinal panels each divided by transverse fold lines into a series of wall sections which are folded to provide three integrally connected angularly related walls, each composite of four superimposed wall sections of the panels, each said panel having a mid-section integrally con- ,nected to the mid-section of the other panel along a longitudinal fold'line, and said panels being folded along the latter said fold line to set one of said mid-sections in generally right angular relation to the other mid-section, one of said angularly related walls having three wall sections of the said first panel superimposed upon each other and upon the mid-section of said first panel, the second angularly related wall having three wall sections of the said second panel superimposed upon each other and upon the midsection of said second panel, and the third angularly related wall having two sections of one of said panels engaged between two sections of the other of said panels, there being edge portions of said first and second angularly related walls abutting marginal portions of wall sections of each other and of said third angularly related to each other on a hinge at one edge of the wall,

and having its two outer sections folded into interlocking relation to the inner sections on a hinge at an edge of the wall which is perpendicular to the first mentioned edge, one of said inner sections being hinged to an outer section of a second one of said walls along the edge of said first wall opposite the first mentioned edge, and one of said outer sections of said first wall being hinged to an outer section of a third wall along the edge of said first wall opposite that edge at which the hinge between the outer sections of the first wall is located, all of the sections of said second wall being folded into superimposed relation to each other on hinges all of which are generally parallel with each other and with said hinge between one of its outer sections and one of the inner sections of said first wall, and all of the sections of said third wall being folded into superimposed relation to each other on hinges all of which are generally parallel with each other and with said hinge between one of its outer sections and one of the outer sections of said first Wall, one hinge portion of each of said second and third walls being in butted relation to different marginal portions of said first wall, thereby maintaining the folded condition of the first wall sections, and there being an edge of at least one section of said second wall in butted relation to a marginal portion of a section of said third wall, and an edge of at least one section of said third wall in butted relation to a marginal portion of a section of said second wall, whereby the sections of the latter said two walls are maintained in their folded conditions.

6. A protector for a corner of an article which is to be enclosed in a shipping container, comprising a blank of sheet material having first and second longitudinal panels each divided by transverse fold lines into a series of wall sections which are folded to provide three integrally connected angularly related walls, each composed of at least three superimposed wall sections of the panels, each of said panels having a mid-section integrally connected to the midsection of the other panel along a longitudinal fold line, and said panels being folded along the latter said fold line to set one of said mid-sections in generally right angular relation to the other mid-section, one of said angularly related walls having at least two wall sections of the said first panel superimposed upon each other and upon the mid-section of said first panel, the second angularly related wall having at least two wall sections of the said second panel superimposed upon each other and upon the midsection of said second panel, and the third angu larly related wall having two sections of one of said panels interlocking with two sections of the other of said panels, therebeing edge portions of said first and second angularly related walls abutting marginal portions of Wall sections of each other and of said third angularly related wall whereby the folded condition of the wall sections of all three of the angularly related walls is maintained.

ERNEST J. BERGERON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,865,485 Sas July 5, 1932 2,271,265 Kirby Jan. 27, 1942 

